Education:

Research Focus:

Dr. Mostaghel’s research focuses on androgen and androgen receptor-related mechanisms of resistance that lead to prostate cancer progression. Current areas of research include pathways of intra-tumoral androgen steroidogenesis and metabolism, structural alterations in the androgen receptor, the activity of androgen transport proteins, and how alterations in these and other pathway may influence the sequencing of androgen and chemotherapy treatments. An important goal is to determine how patient and tumor-specific alterations in these proteins may be used to predict response to agents targeting these pathways.

Clinical Expertise:

Dr. Mostaghel specializes in the care of men with prostate, bladder, and other urothelial cancers. She carries out translational research on the development and treatment of hormone refractory prostate cancer and is involved in the development and analysis of clinical trials for all phases of prostate cancer therapy.

Current Studies:

Idea Development Award (Principal Investigator: Mostaghel)
DOD Prostate Cancer Research ProgramSteroid transport proteins in castration resistant prostate cancer
The goal of this proposal is to determine whether steroid transporters and their polymorphic variants are functionally important in the response of prostate cancer to hormone suppression.

Pacific Northwest Prostate Cancer SPORE, NIH/NCIProject 5 (Project Leader: Mostaghel)Exploiting mechanisms of response and resistance to next generation androgen pathway antagonists
The goal of this proposal is to determine tumor-specific biomarkers and mechanisms of response and resistance to novel androgen receptor pathway inhibitors.

Exploration Hypothesis Development Award (Principal Investigator: Mostaghel)
DOD Prostate Cancer Research ProgramPharmacogenetic determinants of intratumoral abiraterone exposure
The goal of this proposal is to determine whether genetic variation in steroid transport genes and phase II metabolizing enzymes may serve as pharmacogentic determinants of response to abiraterone in men with prostate cancer.

Exploration Hypothesis Development Award (Principal Investigator: Mostaghel)
DOD Prostate Cancer Research ProgramExploiting synergy to optimize taxane sensitivity in prostate cancer
The goal of this proposal is to demonstrate that co-targeting the androgen receptor will synergize with taxane chemotherapy in inhibiting prostate tumor growth.

Transformative Impact Award
DOD Prostate Cancer Research Program (AR Project Leader and Consortium PI: Mostaghel)Toward the practice of precision medicine: a biomarker validation coordinating center
The goal of this proposal is to develop validated assays for predictive biomarkers of sensitivity to androgen receptor and PI3K inhibitors for use in prospective clinical trials.